Caribbean Rice and Beans delivers a flavor explosion with garlic, onions, and intensely delicious spices. Infusing it with bay leaves, thyme, scotch bonnet, and coconut milk creates an incredible rice meal!
I would like to say that with what the world is experiencing right now, every day should be a gratitude day. So, I’m beyond thankful for this gift of life and my beloved family by my side.
And while I’ve been daydreaming about my next Caribbean trip, a tropical food trip in my kitchen, starting with this rice and beans recipe, will have to do. Or if you’re into Jamaican food, it’s rice and peas. 😍
What Type of Beans for Caribbean Rice and Beans
When making this scrumptious meal, I don’t have any favorites, so whatever is in the pantry works. Traditionally, Caribbean beans and rice use red kidney beans. However, it’s just as delicious with black or pinto beans or pigeon peas. The look may change slightly, but that’s about it.
Recipe Ingredients
- Rice – Long-grain separates more easily. However, medium-grain, jasmine, and basmati rice work just as well.
- Seasoning – Garlic, onion, hot pepper (scotch bonnet peppers are my fave), Creole seasoning, thyme, bouillon powder, bay leaves, optional smoked paprika, and good ol’ S&P pack a flavor punch.
- Kidney Beans – Dried beans are cheaper, but for convenience’s sake, I’ve gone with canned. Choose which is best for you and your Caribbean red beans and rice.😉
- Coconut Milk – Full-fat coconut milk provides liquid to cook the rice and a tropical taste.
- Chicken Broth delivers the rest of the needed liquid and adds extra flavor.
How to Make Caribbean Rice and Beans
- Wash rice until water runs clear. Drain water.
- Sautee Aromatics – Heat a saucepan with oil. Then add onions, garlic, thyme, and hot pepper, and sauté for about a minute. (Photos 1-2)
- Simmer – Stir the rice into the pan, then the beans, and cook for about 2 minutes. Then add coconut milk, bay leaf, bouillon powder, Creole spice, and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until rice is cooked (about 20 minutes). (Photos 3-4)
Note: Stir occasionally to prevent burning, adding water as needed. - Serve – Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Discard bay leaves. Serve warm and enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- Jerk Rice and Beans – For even more spice, add a teaspoon of jerk seasoning to the traditional recipe.
- Bean Swap – Pigeon peas, kidney beans, and black beans are all conventional choices. You can also use other beans, such as pinto beans, red beans, or lentils.
- Vegan Version – Replace the meat-based broth with vegetable broth; done.
Tips and Tricks
- Test the rice to avoid overcooking. It should be tender but still have a slight bite, and the beans should be tender but not mushy.
- Almost any chili pepper, such as habanero and jalapeño, will work if you don’t have a scotch bonnet.
- Don’t skip rinsing the rice because it removes excess starch and keeps the rice from getting sticky.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
Cool the rice and beans after cooking and freeze them in meal-size portions in airtight containers for 2-3 months. It will last in the fridge for 3-4 days—the same works for leftovers.
Thaw frozen rice and beans in the refrigerator overnight. Then simmer (stirring occasionally) in a pot until it bubbles. Add water or broth as needed to keep it from burning—a microwave works, too.
FAQs
Caribbean rice and beans definitely have a West African influence. Enslaved Africans brought the recipe to the Caribbean, and it quickly became a staple in many Caribbean cuisines.
It depends on who you ask and where you are in the world. In Jamaica and other Caribbean countries, it’s known as rice and peas. That’s because, in the West African Akan language, the word for pea refers to most legumes, including beans.
Rice and beans are a nutritious meal. So you can serve it as a complete meal or add meat and sides, such as ripe fried plantains.
What to Serve With Caribbean Rice and Beans
It’s traditionally served with chicken, beef, or pork. It goes excellent with brown stew chicken, Jamaican curry goat, or jerk chicken. Fried sweet plantain and Caribbean coleslaw are wonderful sides.
More Popular Jamaican Dishes to Try
Conclusion
This Caribbean rice and beans recipe takes rice to a whole new level. Would you like more African-based recipes? Then follow me on Facebook for more! ❤️
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was originally published in February 2014 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Caribbean Rice and Beans
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (or canola)
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ medium onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
- 2 cups uncooked long grain rice
- 1 sprig fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 1 13.5-ounce can coconut milk (about 1¾ cups)
- 1 15.5-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 small bay leaves
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2¼ cups chicken broth or water (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon (optional)
- 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika (optional)
Instructions
- Wash rice until water runs clear. Drain water.
- Heat a saucepan with oil. Then add onions, garlic, thyme, and hot pepper, and sauté for about a minute.
- Stir in rice to the pan, followed by beans, and cook for about 2 minutes. Then add coconut milk, bay leaf, bouillon powder, and Creole spice with 2¼ cups of broth or water, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover with a lid, and simmer until rice is cooked, about 20 minutes (more or less). Stir occasionally from the sides to prevent burning add more water as needed.
- Adjust for salt and pepper. Discard bay leaves You have to stir occasionally to be preventing any burns.
- Serve warm.
Tips & Notes:
- Use 3 cups of water or broth for really moist rice and beans. If you want your rice to look just like in the picture, use 2 cups of water or broth.
- I used paprika and Creole salt to enhance the rice’s flavor. It’s not traditional, so if you want traditional rice, omit the paprika and use regular salt instead of Creole salt.
- Feel free to switch the coconut milk with 2 cups of water.
- If you want to make it vegan, vegetable broth is fine.
- If using dry pigeon peas, boil them until tender, then replace beans with pigeon peas in the recipe instructions. You may also use pinto or black beans instead.
- I use uncooked long-grain rice. No need to parboil; just rinse it until the water runs clear. One of our readers here has used Japanese short-grained rice, and it works. Brown long-grain rice works, too.
- Too much liquid and stirring would make your rice mushy.
- You may cook it ahead and refrigerate it. It heats up very well the next day.
- If you don’t have chicken bouillon, you may leave it out or use half of a Maggie cube and add it to the pot.
- For those who want to cook it using an Instant Pot, one of the readers shared this: saute everything like you usually would and cook for 3 minutes at high pressure with a natural pressure release.
- No Creole spice? You can use my jerk spice.
- You can add your favorite cooked protein to the mix, like shredded smoked turkey, diced chicken, ground meat, sausages, and so on.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Dave says
Hi, You say it can be reheated the next day, how would you reheat it? Thanks.
Imma says
Hi Dave. You can heat it up in the microwave or on your stove.
Shassy C says
I have been making this rice for years now and my family loves it with the stew chicken recipe. I omit the scotch bonnet so that my kid will eat it. My husband and I just put sambal chili garlic paste on ours for a little kick. Always turns out great. I also use less water as we like it firm not mushy. The creole spice, coconut milk, and paprika give it a great flavor. I have used Lawry’s season salt when I don’t have the creole spice and it works too. We heat leftovers just fine the next day. I have made several of Imma’s recipes and I love them all. Thank you for sharing your love for cooking with others who love to cook and try new flavors. I highly recommend this recipe and trying the stew chicken.
Imma says
Hello Shassy! Thank you so much for your feedback! 🙂
Rachel says
I loved rice and peas growing up. We ate it EVERY Sunday and special holidays like Christmas. Taste is amazing
Imma says
Couldn’t agree more! 🙂 Thanks for sharing, Rachel!
Paula says
Just made this for the first time today and it is so delicious! I made tofu with jerk seasoning on the side. Will definitely make again. Great comfort food! Also, used long grain brown rice and just added more broth and cooked another 25 min.
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Paula,
I’m thrilled to hear that your Caribbean rice and beans turned out deliciously, especially with the unique addition of tofu seasoned with jerk spices. The tofu must have added a lovely texture and a flavorful kick, complementing the rice and beans beautifully. Using long grain brown rice is a healthy choice, and it’s great to know that adjusting the broth and cooking time worked well for you. This dish indeed sounds like wonderful comfort food with a delightful twist. I’m glad you’ll be making it again, and it’s always fantastic to experiment with such versatile recipes!
Anne G says
Wow!!!! Used habanero and stayed true to the rest of the recipe-great flavor, easy to make, leftovers are gonna be a treat!
Imma says
Great! I’m so glad you loved it. And thanks for stopping by:)
Robin Clark says
This is absolutely delicious! I two small diced jalapenos as that’s what I had on hand in the garden, and adzuki beans. I added just a bit more creole spice. Mine came out really creamy, almost like a risotto, which I am perfectly fine with. I will definitely be making this one again. Hands down, this is my favorite recipe site for exceptional flavor!
ImmaculateBites says
Wow, thank you for such high praise! I’m thrilled to hear that this recipe was a hit for you. Your tweaks sound absolutely delicious—diced jalapeños for a kick, adzuki beans for a unique twist, and a bit more Creole spice for that extra flavor punch. ️
The creamy, risotto-like texture you described sounds divine, and it’s wonderful that you enjoyed it that way. That’s the beauty of cooking; you can make a dish your own with just a few adjustments.
Hi Robin,
Thank you for sharing your experience and for your kind words about the recipes. I’m honored to be your go-to site for flavorful dishes. Can’t wait for you to try more recipes and share your culinary adventures! ️✨
Kris says
Should the pepper be left whole or chopped up?
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Kris,
If you want to infuse a dish with a mild pepper flavor without making it too spicy, you can leave the pepper whole or just prick it with a fork. This allows the pepper to release some of its flavors without overwhelming the dish. Remove before serving.
If you’re looking for more heat and a pronounced pepper flavor, chopping it up will do the trick. The smaller you chop it, the more heat and flavor will be released into the dish. Hope this helps
Mary Kielb says
Do you use the creole seasoning as the salt? I put 1 tsp of salt to every cup of rice so I can still use the creole seasoning plus the salt
Imma says
If using salt-free Creole seasoning, I add salt. But feel free to adjust the salt to your family’s tastes.
Ry says
This is my go to meal when I’m tired but want something delicious and nutritious that my family will also eat.
Imma says
Wonderful! Thank you so much for the feedback 🙂
Bonnie says
Ohhhhh my!! Immaculate Bites is my go to website for all recipes Jamaican or Caribbean. This one did not disappoint. In the words of my husband “that’s a so again!!” We had it over your oxtail recipe. Both of us are stuffed!! And I followed this recipe to the detail (using canned kidney beans!$
Imma says
You are so sweet, thank you!